Azzurri Court Legend Nicola Pietrangeli Dies at 92
The tennis champion stands as among a select trio of Italian men to secure a Grand Slam singles title.
The world of tennis is mourning a authentic icon: Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time French Open champion, left us at 92.
The player made history by emerging as the initial Italian to win a Grand Slam singles title, earning his first triumph at the French Open in 1959 and successfully defending the prestigious trophy the following year.
With a staggering 48 career titles, Pietrangeli was long held to be the country's most accomplished player prior to the emergence of current world number two and four-times major winner Jannik Sinner.
"The sport in Italy is mourning an titan. Nicola Pietrangeli, the sole Italian enrolled in the International Tennis Hall of Fame, has passed away," stated the national federation.
Alongside his pair of French Open triumphs, Pietrangeli also was the finalist in Paris in both 1961 and 1964.
He set a remarkable 164 matches played for Italy in the prestigious team competition, securing victories in 120 of them, and guided his country to its inaugural title in 1976.
Officials of the Italian Open, where he was a double winner, commented: "It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to Nicola Pietrangeli, a veritable legend of Italian tennis..."
